Emotional return for Chorley rockers

Mike Hill

A group of Chorley musicians are set for a special comeback on Saturday March 19.

Members of rock band Failsafe have endured a tough 13 months following the death of bandmate Matthew Cogley.

But they are now looking to move forward with new band The Capital and return to the live stage tomorrow at The Ferret, in Fylde Road, Preston.

The five-piece recently returned from Middle Farm Studio in Devon, where they recorded live sessions with producer Pete Miles, who worked on the first two Failsafe albums.

Bassist Andy Sprake said the band had no expectations on entering the studio, but were very happy with the results.

“We enjoyed going down there knowing there was no plan,” he said. “We went there thinking that if we came away with two songs, great, but we ended up coming back with six that we’re really happy with – it’s sounding great.”

Failsafe's Matthew Cogley who died on January 1, 2015

The Capital was formed last summer by members of Failsafe, who famously appeared on TV programme The Inbetweeners and released three albums between 2005 and 2012, alongside various radio and magazine appearances.

Matthew Cogley was an integral part of the band, but died on New Year’s Day last year, aged 30, leaving his bandmates to consider their future.

Members of the band regrouped several months later with guitarist Nik Taylor and soon found that Matthew’s good friend, singer and songwriter Seamus Mcloughlin, was the perfect fit for their new venture, both musically and personally.

“We found comfort in doing this music together,” said Seamus. “Matt loved music, he loved songs, loved hooks – he would have 100 per cent agreed with what we’re doing now.”

Seamus was a big fan of Failsafe as well as good friends with Matthew, with the pair often playing acoustic gigs together, and he feels that joining up with The Capital has helped him get through some difficult times.

“Having got to know the boys a lot more, just hanging out with them has become quite therapeutic for obvious reasons,” he said, adding: “It’s nice as well to get the electric guitar back on and make some noise.”

With memories of Matthew still ever-present in the band’s minds, the presence of his brother Martin Cogley in the Devon studio to document the sessions was a natural fit, with the photographer having regularly toured with Failsafe as well as designing their album covers.

“It feels great to be involved in working with The Capital,” Martin said. “Music was a very important part of Matt’s life, and making music alongside Rob, Andy and Si (Failsafe members now in The Capital) meant a lot to him.

“I think it’s great that they’ve been able to carry on making music alongside Seamus and Nik. In many ways it still feels like he is part of this in the way that the music comes across.”

Many charitable acts and events have taken placed since Matthew died.

Events such as the Cogley Cup, a five-a-side football tournament held in September, have seen friends, family and others come together in memory of the musician.

It is estimated that more than £2,000 has been raised so far for his former school, Holy Cross RC High School, and charity CALM, which aims to bring the suicide rate down among men.

The latter also gained proceeds from sales of Matthew’s self-titled solo EP, as well as from the re-release of Failsafe’s last album Routines – which includes five bonus acoustic tracks recorded and produced by Matthew at the band’s rehearsal space in Chorley.

Andy will run the Paris Marathon in April to raise money for CALM, as Matthew’s friends and family continue to honour his memory. To sponsor him, go to www.justgiving.com/andysprake.

And The Capital hope to move forward with their music this year, eyeing summer European festival dates as well as gigs closer to home, starting at The Ferret in Preston on Saturday, March 19.

Andy acknowledges that the band’s past will always inform their future, and with each member now bearing a tattoo of Matthew’s hummingbird logo, it is a past that they clearly embrace with pride.

He said: “It’s out of respect and love for Matt that

we’re carrying on playing music, because that’s what brought us together in the first place. We’re never going to move on, but we can move forward and always keep him with us.”

To find out more about The Capital, go to facebook.com/thecapitaluk or twitter.com/thecapitaluk.

Entry is free and doors open at 8pm. The boys’ debut EOP will also be on sale on the night.